Strong second half earns St. Mary's, Magherafelt a MacRory Cup victory over Cathair Dhoire

St Mary's Magherafelt 3-15

Cathair Dhoire 2-9

FIVE minutes of high press football at the start of the second half turned this game in Rossa Park, Magherafelt into a comfortable push to the finish line for the local St Mary's Magherafelt side, who are strongly fancied to be there or thereabouts when the Danske Bank MacRory Cup is handed over in February.

Cathair Dhoire did very well in the opening 30 minutes and went in at the break just a point in arrears at 1-6 to 1-5. But within five minutes of the re-start they were eight points down and would only add a point before a late burst of 1-2 that made the score-board a little more respectable.

St Mary's went 0-3 to 0-1 ahead with two points from Eamon Young in the first ten minutes. But the city boys hit back with the next four points including two from Cathal Deery and edged ahead for the only time in the game.

Young levelled however and then in the 20^th minute defender Dara McGuckin burst through from deep for a goal and he added a point a few minutes later. But Cathair Dhoire hit back with a goal superbly finished by Tiarnan McFeely and there was only a point between the teams at the break, 1-6 to 1-5, in favour of St Mary's.

But the home side started the second half with a goal from Jude Beattie despite the protests from the Cathair Dhoire team and management that the ball had gone out of play before Lorcán Higgins passed it across the goals for Beattie to palm home.

St Mary’s high press on the kick outs resulted in a further four points inside the first five minutes. They were now clear and leading 2-10 to 1-5.

There was a third goal from Cohen Cassidy on 48 minutes with two fine points either side of it and St Mary's were leading 3-14 to 1-6. 

With substitutes rushing on from both benches gaps appeared towards the end and Cathair Dhoire exploited them with quick breaks that delivered a goal for Matthew James and points each for Jude Bryson and Chris McCullagh.

Another 60 minutes lesson in the MacRory Cup experience for the Derry city boys. They were far from disgraced by this performance and the likes of Liam Meenan, Ronan Canavan, Eoin O’Kane and Jude Bryson and Cathal Deery showed up well before the break. However the more experienced Convent team changed their pattern of play at half time and took them apart in the second half.

The final round of fixtures next week will see a head to head between Cathair Dhoire and St Joseph's Donaghmore with the loser of this game dropping out of the competition while the winner gets another outing in a fortnight.

St Mary's: D McGuckin 1-1, J Beattie and C Cassidy 1-0 each, E Young 0-5, 1f, L Grant 0-3, P Birt 0-2 fs, R Small, J Sargent, L Higgins and S McCann 0-1 each

Cathair Dhoire: T McFeely and M James 1-0 each, C Derry 0-4, 3fs, J Bryson 0-2, L Meenan (f), C McCullagh and E O'Kane 0-1 each

St Mary’s: Mícheál Conlon, Dara McKenna, Ronan Doherty, Rory Small, Cohen Cassidy, Luke Grant, Dara McGuckin, James Sargent, Cathair McBride, Charlie Mulholland, Éamon Young, Lorcán Higgins, Shea McCann, Patrick Birt, Jude Beattie.

Subs used: Michael Higgins (Rossa), Feargal Logan, Conn McAllister, Joseph Cassidy, Michael Higgins (Ballinascreen)

Cathair Dhoire: Charlie Green, Conor O’Donnell, Lorcan Doherty, Conaill Campbell, Caoimhín Wray, Ronan Canavan, Oran Donnelly, Chris McCullagh, Liam Meenan, Somhairle McFadden, Tadhg Coyle, Eoin O’Kane, Tiernan McFeely, Jude Bryson, Cathal Deery